Big Lake in Skagit County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Big Lake falls in Skagit County, part of Washington. Dry hill runs right down to the water. This is sizeable water at about 520 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. With 5.9 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It ranks high for size among our Skagit County listings. 1.6 miles away sits Big Lake, the nearest town. Beyond it, Mount Vernon at 5.5 miles and Clear Lake at 5.7 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Big Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Skagit County cover Coho salmon, Chum salmon, pink salmon and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Treat Big Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 38°F and August at about 63°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year never really closes; it just gets uncomfortable in summer. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Time your trip to Big Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Big Lake Boat Launch sits about half a mile away and carries the launch. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. There are toilets half a mile off. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Shiner Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Big Lake before loading the car.